Warm carrot cakes

With honey-walnut brittle & carrot coulis

INGREDIENTS

Carrot cakes

1¾ cup flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

175ml sunflower oil

1¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sour cream

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp icing sugar

Walnut brittle

250g sugar

1 Tbsp liquid honey

30g butter

¼ tsp baking soda

100g walnuts, roasted & chopped

Carrot coulis

1 cup carrot, diced

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 star anise

1 cinnamon quill

METHOD

To make carrot cakes: Beat together eggs and oil, add sugar and sour cream and beat to combine. Add grated carrot.

Combine all dry ingredients, then add the wet mixture to the dry. Pour the mixture into dariole moulds (or cups) and bake at 150ºC until done - about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the moulds before turning out.

Combine the mascarpone, lemon zest and icing sugar and set aside.

To make walnut brittle: Combine sugar, honey, butter and 150ml of water in a pan and heat to dissolve. Bring to the boil, take to 150ºC, remove, then add baking soda and walnuts. Immediately pour on to a tray and allow to cool. When cool, remove from tray and chop.

To make carrot coulis: Place all ingredients into a saucepan and simmer until carrots are tender. Remove star anise and cinnamon, then puree in a blender, pass through a fine strainer, and allow to cool.

TO SERVE

Before serving, warm carrot cakes in the oven. Place a small amount of coulis and a little pile of chopped walnut brittle on each plate. Add carrot cakes, each topped with a teaspoon of the mascarpone icing. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the brittle, and enjoy.